I've been reading this info about 'What the Buddhataught' . . at the Chapter 6 section It discusses'Anatta' doctrine of no soul.

So, why no soul in Buddhist thought? . .

Buddhism teaches that what we normally take to be a "self" (our own separate self-ness aka what makes you Wesley) is merely a series of aggregates or "skandhas"... Like pieces that when all pieced together create the illusion of a self and a world. Buddhas discovery was that there was no self and no world.. Both are illusions. And this discovery was an experiential release from the illusion which brought him to an inexpressible truth beyond birth and death, the dharma is his method to lead others to this truth.

About this the Buddha said:

"It is just the dharmas[aggregates, appearances] that combine to form this body. When it arises, it is simply the dharmas arising; when it ceases, it is simply the dharmas ceasing. When these dharmas arise, [the bodhisattva aka enlightened one] does not state, 'I arise'; when these dharmas cease, he does not state, 'I cease'."

And also:

"There is a sphere of being where there is no earth, no water, no fire, nor wind; no experience of infinity of space, of infinity of consciousness, of no-thingness, or even of neither perception nor non-perception; here there is neither this world, nor another world, neither moon nor sun; this sphere of being I call neither a coming, nor a going, nor a staying still, neither a dying nor a reappearance; it has no basis, no evolution, and no support; it is the end of dukkha."

Wesley1982 wrote:Why the mention of reincarnation? Is that positive or negative I'm not too sure about that.

Reincarnation is returning as the same person. In Buddhism it is rebirth, the mind reborn into one of the six realms. If it has good Karma and good merit, it returns to this realm in a precious human rebirth. This is in my understanding of what I've learned

Kindest wishes, Dave

Everyday problems teach us to have a realistic attitude.They teach us that life is what life is; flawed.Yet with tremendous potential for joy and fulfillment.~Lama Surya Das~

If your path teaches you to act and exert yourself correctly and leads to spiritual realizations such as love, compassion and wisdom then obviously it's worthwhile.~Lama Thubten Yeshe~

One whose mind is freed does not argue with anyone, he does not dispute with anyone. He makes use of the conventional terms of the world without clinging to them~The Buddha~

Wow. It's one thing to fail to admit that you know nothing about 1st century Palestinian Judaism or early Christianity, but it's wholly another to post tripe like this as in the least bit possibly tenable.

Wesley1982 wrote:Why the mention of reincarnation? Is that positive or negative I'm not too sure about that.

Rebirth is always a negative, especially when the end result should be escaping samsara.

From a samsaric POV, though, being born as a human is always a positive as it amounts to more opportunities to attain enlightenment; however, being born as a human as its hang-ups, as well, such as a pervasive feeling of alienation from our Base, from other people, and from our True Self. We have this urgent need to escape from the profound insecurity of this situation which gives rise to insatiable desires for pleasure, possession, and power which then leads to violence, war, and institutional injustice. So, Buddhism ultimately sees humanity as strained - sort of like a spider suspended above the abyss by a thread.

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." –Arundhati Roy

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget." –Arundhati Roy